Salesforce.com sues Microsoft for alleged patent violations

Salesforce.com says Microsoft infringes five of its patents in its programs

The case between Salesforce.com and Microsoft has taken another twist

Cloud computing software vendor Salesforce.com is suing Microsoft for alleged patent violation.

The move is the latest twist in an ongoing legal battle that started when Microsoft accused Salesforce.com of stealing its intellectual property.

Salesforce.com is the world's biggest maker of web-based software and has charged Microsoft with infringing five of its patents, with some patents residing in the Windows Server operating system and the widely used .Net platform.

"Microsoft's continuing infringements have caused and are causing irreparable harm to Salesforce.com," the complaint said, according to news agency Reuters.

The report says that Salesforce is seeking unspecified damages in the suit, which was filed in the US. Microsoft's deputy chief counsel Horacio Gutierrez said in a statement that his company is now reviewing the lawsuit.